| I have recently been in several public relations | | | | interests. |
| development meetings with long standing and leading | | | | Francis Ingham, the Assistant Director General of |
| clients across several different industries. We typically | | | | Public Affairs and Business for the Chartered Institute |
| discuss market trends, the economy and its effect on | | | | of Public Relations (CIPR) writes, "Social media is an |
| their business. Then review the current PR strategy to | | | | evolving - and frequently contentious - area of PR |
| ensure it is in line with the company's business | | | | practice, the profile of which continues to grow. It is |
| strategy. As we come to the close of the meeting, I | | | | therefore appropriate for the CIPR to use guidance to |
| have been asked time and time again, "What is PR 2.0, | | | | our Members and the wider community on how social |
| should we have it, where can we get it, how much | | | | media should be handled." |
| does it cost and how soon could start?" | | | | Social media consists of, but is not limited to; blogs, |
| The reason we are being asked these questions is | | | | RSS feeds, podcasts, microbloggins, Wikis and social |
| because clients are picking up on a coined phrase that | | | | networks like Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, and |
| has been moving through the public relations industry | | | | YouTube. |
| for sometime now. DON'T PANIC! PR professionals | | | | PitchEngine is a social platform where PR |
| have all been in situations where the client has heard | | | | professionals can easily create, host and share visually |
| some new term and want to know if it needs to be | | | | rich and dynamic social media press releases. In less |
| integrated into their PR strategy. Usually they hope this | | | | than a year more than 6,000 brands have created |
| new idea will be some sort of miracle cure so they | | | | thousands of social media releases on PitchEngine. |
| can reduce spending on advertising, or they hope it will | | | | These brands include companies and organisations like |
| increase their sales, and in some cases they hope it | | | | the American Red Cross, Harley-Davidson, Xerox, Dell |
| will do both. It is not wrong for clients to ask these | | | | and Mattel. |
| questions, as they too want what's best for their | | | | PR practitioners creating a strategy for social media |
| overall marketing strategy. They want to gain the | | | | know it can be daunting and very time consuming. The |
| highest return on investment, while increasing their | | | | campaign must be carefully developed, as there is less |
| company's awareness in their target markets. | | | | control of the desired message than with 'traditional' |
| Public Relations | | | | online media, and far less than print media. Many |
| To understand PR 2.0 we need to have a clear | | | | brands have been damaged by trying to implement a |
| understanding of public relations. According to the | | | | half thought out social media campaign. Just |
| Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), the | | | | remember, with print you may be working with a |
| definition of public relations "...is the management | | | | handful of journalists that provide a review of your |
| function which evaluates public attitudes, identifies the | | | | client's product or service. When you implement a |
| policies and procedures of an individual or organisation | | | | social media strategy, typically you have removed that |
| with the public interest, and executes a program of | | | | handful of journalists and replaced them with the |
| action to earn public understanding and acceptance." | | | | potential of every end user becoming a critic for your |
| This definition clearly explains the purpose of public | | | | client's product or service. |
| relations and although the principle behind PR has | | | | PR 2.0 |
| stayed relatively the same for the last 100 years, how | | | | Believe it or not, the term PR 2.0 has been around for |
| we practice the function of PR has changed | | | | about 10 years. Brian Solis of Deirdre Breakenridge |
| considerably. | | | | started promoting the concept for how PR, multimedia |
| The practice of PR, like most other businesses, has | | | | and the web would intersect and create a new breed |
| evolved over time. Methods evolve, new business | | | | of PR/Web market. |
| models develop and new technology equips PR | | | | PR 2.0 uses known web 2.0 practices like search |
| professionals with more tools to disseminate | | | | engine optimisation, multimedia like video clips and social |
| information. Whether you're a PR professional or in a | | | | media outlets like Linkedin or Facebook. When |
| business industry, by simply looking back 15 years, you | | | | combined with proven PR practices this can be an |
| can see that you were probably sending faxes not | | | | additional tactic to directly reach an end user target |
| e-mails, doing research via books not the Internet, | | | | audience. Essentially, this practice eliminates the |
| waiting for the newspaper or trade publication for your | | | | influencers, typically the media, who provide third party |
| news, and not getting it instantly on your mobile phone. | | | | endorsements of a business's product or service. |
| Technology has equipped us to work quicker, more | | | | Do we need it? |
| efficiently and in many cases with greater creativity. | | | | I find it puzzling why so many PR professionals seem |
| Many years ago PR practitioners had to rely heavily | | | | to feel it is necessary to change their website or |
| upon print media. Then the introduction of the Internet | | | | brochure to reflect the latest widget or idea, simply |
| came, providing additional online media outlets, and now | | | | because a client may ask a question like "why don't |
| we have the recent introduction of social media. Don't | | | | we have PR 2.0." PR 2.0 is one more tactic for PR |
| think that this evolution has made print media obsolete | | | | agencies to put into their PR tool box. The tactic |
| for your PR campaign. Although it is necessary to | | | | should be used in an overall PR strategy, not as a |
| investigate and embrace new media, you need to | | | | replacement for traditional PR practices. Information on |
| make sure that your client's target audience is doing | | | | PR tactics are available on a plethora of websites and |
| the same. Case in point, research tells us if you are | | | | most people can usually rattle off quite a few; press |
| targeting seniors that are looking for a retirement | | | | releases, articles, case studies, white papers, websites |
| home, more than likely, they would prefer to read a | | | | and blogs to name a few. Many PR professionals can |
| journalist review in a magazine. But if you are targeting | | | | perform these tactics very well; however, what good |
| new college recruits about the latest fashion trends, | | | | are tactics if the proper strategy is not applied? |
| they are more apt to follow those trends using social | | | | Make sure the proper form of media is selected for |
| media outlets like Twitter and Facebook. | | | | your client's target audience. The simple fact of the |
| Web 2.0 and Social Media | | | | matter is that PR agencies should be providing their |
| PR has traditionally been a push strategy through | | | | clients with a complete strategic integrated campaign |
| industrial media such as television, newspapers and | | | | that is reviewed regularly. Before implementing any PR |
| magazines. PR professionals send out press releases | | | | tactics, a PR agency must identify their client's |
| and pitch stories hoping to have reporters' | | | | business strengths and weaknesses, opportunities and |
| endorsements about their client's product or service. | | | | threats. They need to research their client's market, |
| This practice is done in the hope of promoting a | | | | provide a situation analysis, identify the necessary |
| positive response to the client's offering. | | | | target audience(s), provide a detailed competitor |
| PR professionals are now equipped with social media, | | | | analysis - only then can the PR agency identify the |
| providing accessible tools that enable anyone with an | | | | business's communication challenge. Once this is done, |
| Internet connection or mobile phone to receive and | | | | the agency can create the proper communications |
| share information, thereby creating a pull strategy. To | | | | objectives and agree upon PR strategy with metrics |
| understand PR 2.0 you also have to have knowledge | | | | for measurement. More times than not, this strategy |
| of social media. Wikipedia defines social media "... as | | | | will also need to incorporate other elements such as |
| content created by people using highly accessible and | | | | advertising, marketing and web centric activities. |
| scalable publishing technologies, tools and platforms | | | | Careful consideration will need to be given as to what |
| facilitating the discovery, participation and sharing of | | | | media outlets should be used; print, online, social or a |
| content." Businesses also refer to social media as | | | | combination. Never forget your target audience. Just |
| user-generated content (UGC) and | | | | because a new tool exists that may be better and |
| consumer-generated media (CGM). | | | | faster, it may not be right for the job. |
| Social media is a result of Web 2.0 technology, where | | | | The principle purpose of PR has changed little, but how |
| development and design, using programming languages | | | | we use the tools and tactics that are available to us |
| such CSS, ASP and HTML, are used to create easy | | | | through the development of technology, coupled with a |
| to use rich content web platforms where people can | | | | clearly developed strategy, is what differentiates the |
| share content, personal opinions, and discuss various | | | | success of one PR agency from another. |